Really enjoyed this mystery.Drew me in from the first pages.1920s Britain strong independent women,characters that come alive.Really enjoy this series highly recommend,#netgalley#lionshead

The author notes that parts of the book stem from her family history which is fascinating, including some plots and locations. Details such as these are noticeable throughout by her intimate knowledge of streets and buildings in the Northumberland setting.

Poppy Denby, a news reporter, goes on holiday and decides to spend some time with her Aunt Dot before proceeding to her father's 60th birthday celebration. Aunt Dot hosts an art event and has invited the illustrious artist Agnes Robson. Events there lead to investigations into an 1897 murder, nearly three decades earlier. Is there a link? If so, how and why? Poppy, also an amateur sleuth, along with a DI dig around for answers, uncovering dastardly secrets and intrigue which take them down twisty rabbit holes.

Historical bits in such stories always pull me in and the author did a good job of this fifth book in the series, though my first. Northumberland holds a special place in my heart so the setting was meaningful.

None of the characters particularly enamoured me, though I still enjoyed them. The art scene was interesting. The subplots fit well.

Cozy mystery and historical fiction readers are sure to enjoy this light and fun read!

My sincere thank you to Lion Hudson Ltd. and NetGalley for an ARC of this delightful book in return for an honest review. Much appreciated.

Set in 1924, we meet Poppy – a journalist – as she travels to Northumberland for her father’s birthday. Although Poppy is on holiday, she soon gets roped in to helping an old family friend – the internationally acclaimed artist, Agnes Robson, who has just returned to the area for an exhibition. Poppy soon learns that Agnes left the area decades ago under something of a cloud, and that the rumours surrounding her involvement in a man’s death are still very much alive. However, the rumours come to a head when Agnes is found murdered on the night of the exhibition, and Poppy may be the only one who can uncover the truth.

This is a fun, gentle take on a murder mystery. The pace is relaxed and, in a similar way to Alexander McCall Smith’s “Sunday Philosophy Club” series, the story unwinds in as genteel a fashion as a murder mystery can. The supporting cast of characters are intriguing, especially with the number of women defying convention in the 1920s society, but I don’t feel as though I got to know them well enough – although perhaps this wouldn’t have been the case had I read the previous titles in the series. With such a small cast, the ‘twists’ in the tale are easily spotted, but this was nevertheless an enjoyable read.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Poppy Gets Suspicious...
The fifth in the Poppy Denby Investigates series of mysteries set in the 1920’s. Poppy heads to Northumberland to celebrate the sixtieth birthday of her father, calling in at Newcastle to visit her aunt. Poppy is called upon to assist in an art exhibition when an historic death comes to light which raises Poppy’s suspicions. Nicely written mystery with a likeable protagonist and a colourful cast of supporting characters, some serious themes dealt with well and an all round enjoyable read.

This was fine it just wasn’t really my speed, I wasn’t a fan of how the accents were portrayed and also, just in general wasn’t a huge fan of the story. Maybe I’m more an audio cozy gal!?

Sleuthing reporter Poppy Denby isn’t Amory Ames of Murder at the Brightwell; Poppy isn’t Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher nor Rhys Bowen’s Lady Georgie, either. Amory, Phryne and Lady Georgie are all bright young things at the beginning of the 20th century: modern, clever, sophisticated and relentless in the pursuit of justice. Their speech isn’t just cut-glass — it’s cultivated, sharp and intelligent. In other words, they’re nothing like Poppy, except that their novels take place about the same time period.

The Art Fiasco is the fifth book in a series by Fiona Veitch Smith, and it lives up to its title. Perhaps I would have enjoyed Poppy more if I hadn’t come to this novel cold, but I doubt it. London-based Poppy returns to her Northumberland roots for her father’s birthday party; while there, she joins up with her fashionista bestie Delilah Marconi. The Art Fiasco contains more descriptions of fashion and furnishings than a Coco Chanel biography; it should have been titled The Fashion Fiasco. Veitch Smith tries so hard to make Poppy and her family and pals eccentric that they come off as bad P.G. Wodehouse sidekicks. Dialogue strained, silly characters, and unsuccessful asides and references to previous novels. Poppy eventually gets roped into helping with the press for her dotty Aunt Dot’s renowned artist friend and to help stave off scandal. (I could never figure out if Aunt Dot and her companion Grace were supposed to be goofy versions of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, or were just cardboard characters in their own right.) By the time Veitch Smith gets this far in the novel, I finally gave up. What happened? Don’t know, don’t care. Do yourself a favor and seek out a real bright, young thing in a different series.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I received this book free from NetGalley, Lion Hudson Ltd. and Lion Ficton in return for an honest review.


READING PROGRESS

Before receiving this book I didn't know that I was a part of a series, but the plot seem interesting so I requested it.
But anyway I figured that this could be read as a standalone, I will probably check the rest of the serie in the future.
The setting and characters were well written and the plot was very entertaining.
A nice and quick read for lovers of mysteries!
3 stars

Hello Poppy Denby, journalist, amateur sleuth and old friend! I was delighted to read a new installment in Poppy’s adventures, this time in Northumberland circa 1924. (Are you too noticing the increase in historical fiction mysteries just after World War I?) Poppy leaves London for a vacation with her Aunt Dot, and finds herself reluctantly filling in for the press liaison of world renowned artist Agnes Robson. Agnes is staging an exhibition of her paintings at the Laing, and needs Poppy to run interference with the press. The local reporters dug up some of Agnes’ past and she does not want her secrets to come out. Poppy soon finds herself helping a DI from the local police department with a murder investigation.
The Poppy Denby mystery series is one I enjoy more with each book. Poppy is an endearing leading lady, and the gentle bit of romance and unrequited love in the background of the mystery, plus her vivacious Aunt Dot only add to the reading experience. These books are best read in order, but feel like you could jump in at any point and catch up as necessary without feeling like you are rereading an earlier book. Perfect for fans of Maisie Dobbs, Maggie Hope, Tessa Arlen’s Poppy Redfern and Cheryl Honigford’s Viv and Charles mysteries.

The Art Fiasco by Fiona Veitch Smith is a cozy mystery set in 1920’s England starring Poppy, a journalist and part time sleuth. I didn’t realize this was a series and not the first book, however it was still entertaining and had an art theme. This one did take a while for me to get into, but there were some interesting twists. Large ensemble cast and pretty Brittish settings.

I adore the Poppy Denby series, and this new entry is all that readers have come to expect: a complicated mystery, stylish period settings, richly researched stories, and the charming character of Poppy herself. Poppy is back in her home region - Northumberland - to celebrate her father's birthday and to visit her eccentric aunt. Aunt Dot's additional guest is a famous artist who is being honored with an art exhibition. The artist has a shady past as a young girl growing up in the city, and this past comes back to endanger her. Popppy finds herself pulled into the mystery. The author does an excellent job with period and setting, as well as characters. I especially liked the authentic fine art and museum details. The author also provides some serious and layered social issues woven into a puzzling and fascinating plot . Readers will thoroughly enjoy this entry in the consistently entertaining series.

A solid historical mystery filled with intrepid women making their own way in life in 1920s Britain. The characters are well developed and reflect the dynamic social forces at work during this time. A well plotted mystery rich in details will keep the reader engaged. I immediately went out and bought the first in the series.

I received a free copy of this book thanks to Netgalley.com and the publisher in return for a fair and impartial review.

I found The Art Fiasco and Poppy Denby to be very interesting. I have not read the previous books in the series but was still able to enjoy the mystery! The death of a renown artist during a gallery showing provides the reader with a number of intriguing suspects and motives. Poppy and the other characters are well done. I highly recommend it and will be checking out the other Poppy Denby books.

This is the 4th in the Poppy Denby murder mystery series, but you can easily read it as a stand alone. Poppy is an investigative reporter in London and finds herself caught up in mysteries (in other words an amateur sleuth). In The Art Fiasco she is visiting her family in Newcastle when she offers to help out a famous local artist Agnes Robson who has an exhibition at The Laing Art Gallery. When a murder occurs Poppy begins to investigate and finds that there maybe a link to the death of Agnes Robson's art teacher 27 years previously.

Light and entertaining mystery with a big dose of interest for anyone from in and around Newcastle. If I had one grumble it would be the dialect which wasn't right, it's a difficult thing to write into a book and sometimes it's best to leave it out.

This is a nice simple cozy historical mystery perfect for summer beach reading. It was very well written and kept me interested and entertained. Highly recommend!

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Lion Hudson Ltd, in return for an honest review. This is the latest in an on-going series and easily read as a stand-alone book. The book opens in 1897 with local coal miners’ children being offered art classes by a visiting art teacher. We learn that he has an intimate relationship with a 14-year-old girl, and he is found dead in a mine shaft. Forward to 1924, Ms. Poppy Denby is in northern England for her rector father’s 60th birthday party, taking time off from her job as a newspaper reporter in London. Stopping off to visit her Aunt Dot in Newcastle on Tyne, Poppy discovers Aunt Dot is hosting a famous artist, Agnes Robson, who’s staging an exhibition in town. Agnes’ assistant has taken ill and Poppy steps in as her press liaison for the opening. When a murder occurs, Poppy uses all her skills to learn who committed murder in 1924 and if that has anything to do with the death in 1897.
This was a well-told story and an excellent historical mystery in the 1920s period. The cast of new and returning characters is robust and each is clearly written. The mystery is solid and the options for the murderer are well-crafted so you’re not quite sure who did the crime.

Fiona V. Smith has written a wonderful historical mystery that features a cast of very liberated 1920's women. I loved the crusading spirit of the female artist, attorney, reporter and actress. They formed an entertaining team of investigators on this art-centric mystery set in an English mining town.

Ms. Smith's characters have both brains and heart and their adventures were the perfect tonic for a very hot summer day. I loved every minute i spent with this light mystery and look forward to encountering these characters in another book in the series.

Netgalley provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a candid review.